The Water Cooler: UFC Fight Night 27 Edition

By: Brian Knapp and Mike WhitmanAug 26, 2013

Carlos Condit has never lost three in a row as a professional. |
Photo: Sherdog.com

Carlos
Condit entered the
Ultimate Fighting Championship on the strength of a lengthy
World Extreme Cagefighting title reign, only to have his Octagon
debut spoiled by a well-rounded Danish “Hitman.” A little more than
four years later, he receives his opportunity at redemption.

Condit will lock horns with Martin
Kampmann in a rematch between two of the world’s premier
welterweights in the
UFC Fight Night 27 main event on Wednesday at the Bankers Life
Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The five-round headliner will anchor
the UFC’s sophomore outing on Fox Sports 1, the 24-hour sports
channel launched by the Fox network on Aug. 27.

Based at Jackson’s
Mixed Martial Arts, Condit has dropped back-to-back bouts for
the second time in his career. The 29-year-old Albuquerque, N.M.,
native last appeared at UFC 158 in March, when he wound up on the
wrong side of a unanimous decision to No. 1 contender Johny
Hendricks. Condit was taken down 12 times in the 15-minute
affair.

Kampmann has recorded three wins in his last four appearances.
However, the 31-year-old has not competed since being knocked out
by a Hendricks left hook more than a year ago at UFC 154. Kampmann
has compiled an 11-5 mark since arriving in the UFC in August
2006.

The UFC Fight Night 27 “Condit vs. Kampmann 2” lineup provides
plenty of water cooler fodder. We discuss some of it here:

Whitman: Condit and Kampmann put on a seriously competitive
fight in their first meeting. Do you foresee another close call in
the rematch?
Knapp: You have to expect another competitive matchup between these
two. However, I think the two extra rounds favor Condit, the more
dynamic and experienced mixed martial artist. He has gone the full
25 minutes twice in his last three fights and went to a fourth
round on another occasion. Kampmann, meanwhile, has never fought
beyond 15 minutes. If it goes the distance, I think Condit pulls
away late.

Photo:
Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com

Cerrone wields potent offense.

Whitman: Donald
Cerrone looked superb in his win over K.J. Noons, but
Rafael dos
Anjos has also proven himself as one of the division’s toughest
tests. Which lightweight has the edge in this co-main
event?
Knapp: Cerrone has a lot going for him. He has tested himself
against the division’s best and pairs unwavering confidence with
crisp standup and an underrated submission game. Plus, in his bout
with Noons, he added takedowns and ground-and-pound to the mix.
Though no one should make the mistake of underestimating dos Anjos,
I definitely favor “Cowboy” in this one. The man rides bulls, for
crying out loud.

Whitman: While Kelvin
Gastelum and Brian
Melancon have exceeded expectations thus far, do you think
either one of these guys could be a real contender at 170
pounds?
Knapp: That is a hard question to answer, especially as it relates
to Gastelum. He does not turn 22 until October, and we have not yet
seen enough of him to determine a realistic ceiling. You have to
like the skills, determination and toughness he has shown so far. I
see Melancon cut more from the Matt Brown
mold. His propensity for violence will provide him a longer leash
in terms of keeping his job, perhaps allowing him to go on a
similar run and emerge as a threat to the middle- and upper-tier
fighters at 170 pounds. Time will tell.

Whitman: I really like the explosiveness in Robert
Whittaker’s standup attack. When he plants his feet and starts
blasting, he is really fun to watch. Can Court McGee
stand up to Whitaker’s pressure?
Knapp: McGee is as committed and durable as they come. That endears
him to the masses and UFC brass, but I wonder how much it shortens
his shelf life as a fighter. Sometimes, he absorbs too much
punishment for his own good. Whittaker will test his resolve. If
McGee finds himself trapped on the feet against the Australian, he
could be in for a long night. Clinches and takedowns are the way to
go.

Whitman: Papy Abedi is
moving back to middleweight to face “The Ultimate Fighter 17”
veteran Dylan
Andrews. Should we care about this or is Abedi only in the UFC
because he will draw in Sweden?
Knapp: Chiseled physique aside, Abedi has shown little in his first
three Octagon appearances -- two submission losses and a split
decision win -- to make anyone believe he has a long UFC career
ahead of him. The presence of Alexander
Gustafsson gives the UFC the only chip it needs in Sweden, so I
hope Abedi does not bank on his drawing power as a means to
maintaining his roster spot. I expect Andrews to hand him his third
straight loss, with a pink slip to follow.

Whitman: Erik Perez
returns from a life-threatening staph infection to take on the
talented but traditionally inconsistent Takeya
Mizugaki. Given the circumstances and his quality of
competition, would a win over the Japanese standout constitute the
biggest win of Perez’s career?
Knapp: Perez has the tools to be a top 10 fighter at 135 pounds,
and a win over Mizugaki -- who once fought for bantamweight gold in
the WEC -- could be all he needs to put him on that path. Perez has
finished his first three UFC opponents inside the first round. If
he does the same to Mizugaki, look out.

Whitman: It seems like Darren
Elkins is tailor-made to beat Hatsu Hioki
in a lot of ways, considering his wrestling base and power
punching. What kind of odds do you give Hioki of beating
Elkins?
Knapp: It has always been difficult to get a grasp on Hioki because
he has been so hot-and-cold throughout his career, even though few
at 145 pounds can match his physical skills. If he gets his jab in
gear and keeps Elkins at bay, he creates a clear path to victory
for himself. Hioki cannot be content to absorb takedowns and remain
on his back, as he was against Clay Guida. We
have already seen how that story ends.